Starting mercury-vapor apparatus.



No. 890,731. TATRNTR'R JUNE 16, 1908.

M; 0. TROY. A STARTING MERCURY VAPOR APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 27, 1907.

HG. I.

Wifinesses: lnverveor' Matthew O.Troy.

4 ply circuit, I employ MATTHE 0. TROY,

OF SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

STARTING MERCURY-VAPOR APPARATUS.

Specification ofibe tters Patent,

Patented June 16, 1908.

Application filed September 27, 1907. Serial No. 894,787.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MATTHEW O. TROY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Schenectady, county of Schenectady, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Starting Mercury- Vapor Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to means for starting into operation such devices as mercury vapor lamps, rectifiers, or the like, and comprises improvements in that type of starting device in which the starting is roduced through the action of a heated sur ace, preferably oxid-coated, in the'vicinity of the cathode;

The various features of novelty which characterize-my invention I have pointed out particularly in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, as utilized in practice, will be better understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 represents one embodiment of my invention, and Fig. 2 a modified detail.

In Fig. 1. I have represented my invention as applied to a mercury arc rectifier. In this figure I have shown the rectifier tube only and have omitted all illustration of the system of connections used with such rectifiers, since these connections are well understood in the art and form no portion of the present invention. The particular type of rectifier tube which I have illustrated in Fig. 1 by way of example, consists of an evacuated glass receptac e having a condensing chamber 1, arms 2 and 3, in which are located the 'usual anodes 4 and 5, and a downwardly projecting pocket 6 containing the puddle or body of mercury 7 constituting the cathode. Suitable leading-in conductors for the various electrodes are provided in the usual manner.

a In order to start the apparatus into operation, when the same is connected to the supa closed conductor 8 ocated proximity to the cathode 7 and adapted to be brought to a luminous condition by the inductive action of a primary exciting winding 9 fed with alternating current Irom any suitable source. The closed conductor 8 is mechanicall sup orted from the inner walls of the recti er tu e by a suitable number of wire loops, such as 10 placed around the interior of the tube and fused into projecting points of glass extending out from the interior walls of the tube, as indicated. The conductor 8 may consist of a small platinum wire provided with a coating of some suitable oxid such as barium oxid. This coating may be produced by di ping the wire into a solution of barium hyrate, drying, and then decomposing the hydrate in a Bunsen flame or the like, so as to leave a residue of oxid. Any other suitable oxid as thorium oxid or the like may, of course, be employed. The exciting coil 9 for the filament or conductor 8, is so proportioned as, when fed with alternating current, to bring the conductor to a moderate luminosity.

When this result has been accomplished, the rectifier, its circuits being closed in operating condition, will then start into operation due to the exciting influence on the cathode of emanations orrays given off from the oxidcoated wire 8.

In Fig. 1 I have shown the conductor 8 as consisting of but a single turn, though it will be evident that in place of a single turn I may, if desired, em lo a plurality of turns as I have indicated, or example at 11 in Fig. 2.

As it will be evident that my invention may be embodied in other forms than those indicated in the drawing and that various modifications may be made without de arting from the spirit of my invention, I t rerefore do not wish to be limited to the precise forms shown and described.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is,-

1. The combination of an evacuated tube, a plurality of electrodes therein, aclosed conductor in proximity to one of said electrodes, and inductive means for bringing said conductor'to a luminous condition.

2. The combination of a mercury arc rectifiertube having a mercury cathode and a -pluralitv of anodes, a closed conductor in proximity to the cathode, andan exciting coil for said conductor arranged outside of said tube but in inductive relation to the conductor.

3. The combination ol a mercury arc reotifiel' tube having a mercury cathode and a plurality of anodes, an oxid-eoated conductor closed upon itself and located in proximit- 5 to the cathode, and a primary, exciting win ing arranged outside of said tube and in inductive relation to said conductor.

] In witness whereof I have hereunto sel;

w my hand this 23rd day of September, 1907.

MATTHEW o. TROY.

BENJAMIN B. Ilumi, 

